Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-05-23
the Omaha & Yankton line TO COM
pletion.

There has been considerable gossip
over the city during the past ten days
about the alleged investigation of the
affairs of the Yankton insane hospital
under the auspices of certain democratic
officials of this territory. The public,
which foots the bill, should known that
this movement has not been an inyesti-
CATION IN any sense Of the term, but
merely star chamber proceeding for
the purpose OF creating preGext for the
removal of republican officials and giving
their places to coyetous democrats. The
proceeding is but continuation OF the
Cleveland method of fixing secret
charges upon good citizens and faithful
officers without giving them an oppor.
tunity TO show that the charges are
entirely devoid of truth or the sem
blance of truth, as could be very eaeily
explained to the satisfaction of the most
ardent partisan. The situation is this: I:
Three Yankton democrats are candi.
dates for the three leading positions at
the hospital. The board of trustees,
consisting of three democrats and two
republicans, controls the coveted
positions. One OF the demo-
cratic trustees, holding the welfare of
the institution as superior to political
considerations, declines to vote with the
two other democrats for the removal of
time tried and competent republicans
now in charge of the hospital. He takes
this position because he is satisfied that
the hospital is being conducted with
unusual ability and that no other set of
managers, democratic or republican,
could give to the management the eff
cheney it now enjoys. He has reached
this conclusion after more than two
years of experience as trustee. The
two republicans on the board agree with
him in his conclusions and the three are
a majority Of the board and they
unitedly refuse to make any change in
the internal management OF the hospi-
tai. This being the situation the effor.
of the parties who ooyet these positions
is to secure the removal of two of the
three trustees who will not yield to their
demand for official places. To accom-
plish this they have prevailed upon
Governor Church to become party to
| their schemes and he has sent hither an
examining officer who has made an ex-
parte examination end there rested his
case.
The evidence came entirely from par
tlsans, from those pecuniar:ly interested
in securing a partisan board, and from
individuals with disappointed ambitions
This testimony is kept under the cover
Of official secrecy and no one excepting
the witnesses and the star chamber exc,
cutioners know for certainty what II
consists of. Some OF the testimony has
however, passed out through the usua
loop holes into the public ear and muct
oft is SO absurd as to justify the sus
picion of o conspiracy to find for The
democratic. plaintiff regardless o.
facts. We give sample One (or per
haps more than one) witness testified
that all the steam coils in the Press and
Dakotaian building were taken (stolel
we presume) from the insane hospital
building. If this particular witness wat
under oath when he made the Statements
he stands before his own conscience as
first olass periurer. 1.-The was not unde
| oath he is only common liar. Th,
chief investigator could have satisfied
himself OF this if he had asked for lgh
upon the subject.
| This we give as sample OF th
"evidence" upon which 1t is proposed t
base the removal of tw,
of the trustees of the hospi
tai for the insane for the sole purpose o
] giving the hospital into the hapds o
democratic managers and democrati
employees. II is q conspiracy to who
q majority OF the leading democrats Q
, Yankton are opposed. They are salts
fed that the present management can
not be improved and they do not be
, lieve that the life. health ana happines
8 Of the unfortunates of south Dakot
! should be ieopardlzsd in the name {
selfish partisanship.
Under the law the governor has n
!. authority to remove members OF th
board or to create new members, bu
the theory of the case is that he wi
assume the power denied him in. ii
Z statutes and attempt to carry his Gssul
patton TO q successful issue. 1t +,
mains to be seen how far the gentiema
from New York will be permitted
/ carry this contemplated outrage upo
his provincial subjects.
The North Dakota Coal Field.
Bismarck Tribune: One of the gre,